For those who don't know, and I guess there might be many, Virgin Black is an Australian gothic/symphonic metal band incorporating doom metal elements, could be the growling in this album. Still, if you like the usual gothic stuffs (by gothic I mean gothic, some sort of modern classical Sopor Aeturnus - the band, not our friend from the forum.. yea I guessed some wouldn't even notice it was a goth act), buy the Requiem: Mezzo Forte album. Less metal and more symphonic arrangements mais dans l'esprit de Virgin Black.
Requiem: Fortissimo is the third stage of the trilogy, yet being the second album released (Mezzo Forte was the first, Fortissimo is the second and Pianissimo is scheduled for 2009). I came across Virgin Black quite some time before the "Requiems", with the 2003 "Elegant... And Dying" release to be precise and have since them kept track of each VB's release for a reason, they're AWESOME.. Not only do they have a nice gothic girl playing the guitars but Rowan's voice is just as painful as its nice, a faire pallir les chanteurs de metal a la voix claires (meme ceux qui se mettent en jupe pour chanter pendant les concerts...).
Anyway, the new release is darker and heavier than previous albums but still, it is, imho, une piece maitresse du jargon doom metal.. Inevitable, you like doom? there's no way you can say you like doom if you haven't listenened to this album. Packed with melodic riffing from the nice gothic girl, whose name is Samantha Escarbe btw, and a slow, sad and brooding atmosphere, presque pesante. The drumming is simple yet effective, no blastbeats or anything, juste an ESSENTIAL part of the music (you'd say it would apply to any other band, I say VB is not just another band..).
This is one of the finest symphonic releases this year and although I'll be listening to Mistress of the Dead's "White Roses, White Coffin" tonight (MOTD is a atmos/symp funeral doom metal from the Czech Republic), I know it won't come close to Requiem: Fortissimo. Spent quite some time trying to find the best release -only one- of 2008 for another forum, got stuck with In Mourning's "Shrouded Divine", Trinacria and this.. You know which one I chose. -10/10- haunting..
Just for the sake of promoting this band, there a link below for the "Our Wings Are Burning" video.. Extrait de l'album "Elegant... And Dying", l'un de mes preferes.. Le style est different des Requiems but I'm pretty sure you'll like it..
Code:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEcYIXaj-R8
